Using Google Earth

[Mekong Mike]

Does anyone here use google earth to locate hunting sites ? What results have you had ?

pic: Aer Lingus ( Ireland ) aircraft coming into O'hare Chicago. I was about 1500 ft. the plane 1000 ft.

 

[TerryC]

NEAT PIC. I have always wanted to get a pic on Google Earth of a plane in the air. I will look for this one. What part of Chicago skies? TTC

 

[Alan Applegate]

I have used Google Earth, and have had both good and bad luck.

The biggest issue is the resolution, albeit better than it was several years ago. You can't see objects smaller than about 15 to 20 feet across. However, it did help me pinpoint a location by comparing the aerial view against a DeLorme topographical map. That's essentially how I found the correct location for the ghost town of Globe, NM.

I've mentioned this before, but it needs repeating here. Old historical maps are almost never accurate. Of the three maps I downloaded looking for the correct location of the aforementioned ghost town, only one was close if you can call 2 miles close!

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

I found, as long as I am staring at Google Earth, I am missing treasure!
My beaches don't actually SHOW the treasures on G.E.
I do use a few live cams though, to tell me if it's raining down there or not.

 

[BryanM362]

I use it in conjunction with historic aerials, to get a newer more detailed view of an interesting site.

 

[TNGUNS]

I use it frequently. The latest pics of the area I hunt have much better resolution the earlier stuff. I pin lots of things to keep things in perspective. Just a few days ago I was able to take an old map of a ghost town and use two reference points on it to align with GoogleEarth. I had to zoom and enlarge until I got the right size. I gave me much better insight as to where the old town actually lay. It died out in the 1870's and most of it is either woods or pasture now. Much of the footage is taken at an angle and isn't actually straight up and down so it skews things a bit. Lots of old road beds can be found as well. I also used it to pinpoint an old ferry that used to cross the TN River and have obtained permission to hunt it as soon as the corn is harvested. It will often show you foundations as well. A great tool in my opinion.

 

[hvacker]

I use it a lot. I know if I upgraded my resolution would be better but that's $$. I usually go to a local weather station that has the site on board and use theirs. It's right where I want to go within 50 miles and I like that I can right click and get the GPS numbers. That gives me something to shoot for when there.
The site I go to has topos and road maps along with Google and aerial photos so it's a lot of information. The only reason I mention this is I haven't been to the actual Google site in a long time so I don't know if they have this other stuff.

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

I can't remember if it was Terrapro or TerraServer, I used to watch the Khyber Pass and other things, years ago.
It's been over a decade since I've checked it out, I can't be sure if you can still access for free or not. You can pay to get pics, too(or could at one time, just had to give advance payment, notice, and co-ord's, when the sat came around, snap).

TerraServer - Aerial Photos & Satellite Images - The Leader In Online Imagery

 

[Mekong Mike]

TerryC.... to get a pic of aircraft, go to any busy airport and find the runway. follow the runway out in a straight line until you eventually see a plane. Be sure to capture the plane while coming in to land because it will be going much slower. I like to keep my altitude at about 1500 ft. until i spot the plane. Then i drop down beside it and try to identify it.

 

[TerryC]

Found one! West of Phoenix. About 3000 feet west of the runway.... inbound. Above a large building. My connection is SLOW so could not add the pic. Tnx, Mike. TTC

 

[TerryC]

(OOPS!) They showed up anyway! TTC

 

[TerryC]

Found another above the runway at Orlando Exec and found the shadow of one approaching OIA 36R .... 15,500 feet directly south of that runway but unable to find the plane yet! Still looking. TTC

 

[HutSiteDigger]

Alll the time !!!